[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 161 (Friday, August 20, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51477-51478]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-20564]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNML03100 L51010000.ER0000 LVRWG0460000; NMNM-115773]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Alamogordo Regional Water Supply Project, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
Alamogordo Regional Water Supply Project and by this notice is 
announcing the opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure that comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Alamogordo Regional Water Supply Project Draft 
EIS within 60 days following the date the Environmental Protection 
Agency

[[Page 51478]]

publishes this Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM 
will announce future meetings or hearings and any other public 
involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through public 
notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Alamogordo Regional 
Water Supply Project by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 575-525-4412.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Alamogordo Regional Water 
Supply Project, Attention: Lorraine Salas, Project Manager, 1800 
Marquess Street, Las Cruces, NM 88005.
    Copies of the Alamogordo Regional Water Supply Project Draft EIS 
are available in the BLM Las Cruces District Office at the above 
address; the BLM New Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, 
NM; the City of Alamogordo Public Library, 920 Oregon Avenue, 
Alamogordo, NM; the Village of Tularosa Public Library, 515 Fresno 
Street, Tularosa, NM.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorraine Salas, Project Manager; 
telephone 575-525-4388; address 1800 Marquess Street, Las Cruces, NM 
88005; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The City of Alamogordo (the City) has 
submitted to the BLM an application for a right-of-way (ROW) for the 
construction and use of up to 10 groundwater wells in order to produce 
approximately 4,000 acre-feet per year of water with supporting 
infrastructure on BLM-managed public land. Under the Federal Land 
Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, and supported by NEPA 
analysis, the BLM will decide whether to grant the ROW or grant the ROW 
with modifications, and, if so, under what terms and conditions. The 
BLM is the lead Federal agency for this EIS. Cooperating agencies 
include the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and Otero County.
    In 1983, a study concluded that the City's long-term water supply 
is inadequate and that critical water shortages could occur should the 
region experience a prolonged drought. The study concluded that the 
City's projected water demand is 10,842 acre-feet per year (afy) 
through the year 2045. In response to the study, the City obtained 
water rights through the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer (State 
Engineer) and has approached the BLM for a ROW to withdraw water on 
BLM-managed public land with supporting infrastructure.
    The City seeks to address the water demand through the desalination 
of brackish groundwater located in the Tularosa Underground Water 
Basin. The proposed wells would be drilled on BLM-managed public land 
located 26 miles north of the City. The BOR will decide whether to seek 
and approve funding for a portion of the project costs through BOR's 
budget under Title XVI, Public Law 102-575, as amended--the Reclamation 
Wastewater and Groundwater Facilities Act; 43 U.S.C. Sec.  39h, 
provides authority for the BOR water recyling and reuse program.
    The Draft EIS addresses the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
environmental impacts of two alternatives. The proposed action 
(Alternative B) by the City includes obtaining unappropriated brackish 
groundwater from the Snake Tank Well Field, constructing and operating 
10 groundwater wells at Snake Tank Well Field, installing water 
transmission lines to Alamogordo, and constructing a desalination 
facility and a booster pump station in Alamogordo to treat the brackish 
groundwater to drinking water standards. This alternative has been 
developed to incorporate the State Engineer ruling, which was affirmed 
by the New Mexico State District Court to allow 4,000 afy of brackish 
groundwater (approximately 3,200 afy of potable water) from the Snake 
Tank Well Field and up to 5,000 acre-feet in any one year so long as 
withdrawals do not exceed 20,000 acre-feet in any 5-year period. The 
remaining future water supply (198 afy) would have to come from other 
sources, all of which are undetermined, and are not part of the Draft 
EIS.
    Alternative A is the ``No Action'' Alternative, as required by 
NEPA. The No Action Alternative describes conditions expected to occur 
if there would be no new well field development or additional water 
supply beyond the City's current water supply. The No Action 
Alternative assumes the City would continue to enforce water 
conservation measures and use existing infrastructure. Since the 
publication of the Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS in the Federal 
Register on August 26, 2004, scoping meetings and mailings have been 
conducted to solicit public comment and identify key issues. Tribal 
governments with interest in this project were also contacted.
    Approximately 216 scoping comments were received during the 
development of the Draft EIS. Key issues identified by individuals, 
groups, and governmental entities include: Balancing growth with water 
use in the Alamogordo/Tularosa region; groundwater draw-down in 
existing residential wells and mitigation measures for any impacts to 
those wells; potential social and economic impacts on ranching and 
agriculture in the region; and potential impacts on Indian trust land, 
community acequias, and surface water.
    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.

Bill Childress,
District Manager, Las Cruces.
[FR Doc. 2010-20564 Filed 8-19-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VC-P